Peter Keogh &Sons, the potato-growing and packing company owned by the north County Dublin Keogh family, has launched a selenium-enriched Rooster potato called Selena, which is currently available exclusively in Superquinn stores in Ireland.

The Selena potato, which is grown on the Keogh family farm in Oldtown, is enriched with the naturally occurring micronutrient, selenium, an essential mineral and potent antioxidant that plays an important role in the immune function.

The Selena method of growing potatoes lends itself to many popular Irish varieties, including Rooster, Maris Piper and Kerrs Pink.

Ireland, as with other regions of the world, has lower levels of selenium in some of its soils, which means that Irish people may not be consuming enough selenium through fruit, vegetables and grain.

Peter Keogh &Sons conducted trials on their farm last year and found that by enriching the soil with selenium at planting, the potato plant can utilise the nutrient throughout the growing cycle and turn it into organic form in the potato tuber.

Tom Keogh from Peter Keogh &Sons said: “We wanted in some ways to reinvent the potato while ensuring its place as a food for the future. We investigated many vitamins and minerals, but the micronutrient selenium stood out because of its fantastic health benefits and the fact that there's a deficiency in the Irish diet.

“We were very surprised with the results,"he added. "Our Selena Rooster potatoes taste great and contain more than 50% of the recommended dietary allowance of selenium per serving. Because potatoes are so widely consumed in Ireland, we hope that the Selena potato will contribute to improving the health of the population."